Where To Get A Tapered Brass Ferrule?

[ome]

I have an old scewdriver that was my dad's.
I realize that they fitted The wooden handle of the screwdriver to the brass tapered Ferrule.
That being said, this screwdriver is missing the Ferrule, so with the exception of making a new Ferrule from scratch, does anyone know where I can purchase a variety of sizes of brass tapered Ferrules?

 

[Bob Korves]

OK, you have an old screwdriver, with no collector value, but it has significant sentimental value to you, because it was your dad's. That is important, and I suppose most of us on this forum have the same sorts of items, I sure do, lots of them, with lots of memories. It is probably a wild goose chase to try to find a new ferrule that will fit the screwdriver, you would have to be very lucky, there are too many variable combinations of size, taper length, etc.. That said, go to yard sales, auctions, flea markets, etc., and bring it with you. You might find a screwdriver that has one that might work. If so, buy it and cannibalize it for the ferrule. That will also be good because it will be an old part that will look much better than a modern ferrule on your vintage screwdriver. Making a ferrule from sheet brass is not trivial, it is quite easy for it to buckle and fold as it is being drawn. It is also perfectly fine to just leave the screwdriver as it is, wearing the scars that your dad, yourself, and other family members might have given it. If you have a memory of the ferrule being damaged, that is an even greater asset, re-living the incident every time you see it missing. For use, it is fine like it is. For a keepsake, it is also fine like it is.

 

[Andre]

I would make one from brass sheet, then roll it into a cone and soft solder the ends together. You could also try metal spinning, or even using a wire wrap.

Wire wrap: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/21520

 

[derf]

Just thinkin' outside the box.......use a cartridge case.

 

[hman]

1. Just for fun I Googled "antique tools". There seem to be a goodly number of dealers. It might take some leg (actually typing fingers) work, but you could try emailing a few of them to ask about availability.
2. I know that some woodworkers like to make beautiful wooden handles for various items, and sometimes add brass ferrules. You might try Woodcraft, Rockler, etc. to see if they have something suitable.
3. Wild idea for a homemade one, ala derf ... get a suitably large cartridge case, cut off the ends, anneal it, and form it between male and female MT1 or MT2 tapers. Don't know how close the taper would be, but from your photo, I don't think MT will be too far off.

 

[randyjaco]

I would think you could swage one from a piece of copper tube. Just turn down a piece of steel to a size a little smaller than your screw driver handle. Pound it into the copper tube a little, aneal the copper , pound a little more, aneal, continue until proper size.

Randy

 

[derf]

From the looks of your picture, a 22-250 case would be really close.

 

[francist]

Hey Jon, that almost looks like an old Stanley screwdriver. I just saw one very much like it at my local salvage place but neglected to measure the ferrule. It was a nice nickel plated one. If you want to post up the dimensions of what you need I can try to keep my eye open for next time, though.

Another thought I just had was one from a file handle. Seems I've got handles on a few of my files downstairs that have a long ferrule like that, and might be a bit easier to find.

-frank

 

[ome]

Thank You all so much!
Great Ideas, each one of them

 

[ome]

OK, you have an old screwdriver, with no collector value, but it has significant sentimental value to you, because it was your dad's. That is important, and I suppose most of us on this forum have the same sorts of items, I sure do, lots of them, with lots of memories. It is probably a wild goose chase to try to find a new ferrule that will fit the screwdriver, you would have to be very lucky, there are too many variable combinations of size, taper length, etc.. That said, go to yard sales, auctions, flea markets, etc., and bring it with you. You might find a screwdriver that has one that might work. If so, buy it and cannibalize it for the ferrule. That will also be good because it will be an old part that will look much better than a modern ferrule on your vintage screwdriver. Making a ferrule from sheet brass is not trivial, it is quite easy for it to buckle and fold as it is being drawn. It is also perfectly fine to just leave the screwdriver as it is, wearing the scars that your dad, yourself, and other family members might have given it. If you have a memory of the ferrule being damaged, that is an even greater asset, re-living the incident every time you see it missing. For use, it is fine like it is. For a keepsake, it is also fine like it is.

Bob,
Thank you for your empathy. I di have fond memories of my Dad in his work shop, putting up with my non stop questioning. lol
My memory is a bit off, it ends up , that when I looked at the end of my dads screwdriver, it is actually an AWL!